Chapter 68: The Battle in the Woods

The eastern road had become quieter.

The jagged mountains that had hidden the Hero’s Lair were slowly disappearing into the gray distance. The blighted landscape of the borderlands gradually opened into a harsh mixture of pine forests, rocky hills, and wind-swept grassland.

Kōya walked at a relentless pace.

His physical body felt better than it had in days. It was not completely recovered—the deep tissue damage from the Demon Peer’s lightning still burned dull and hot beneath his skin—but the natural healing springs had done more than he expected. The deepest of his lacerations had closed. His exhausted muscles no longer felt as though they were dragging dead weight. His violently abused mana pathways had settled enough that he could move without gritting his teeth.

Lyra walked beside him.

She had become more talkative over the past few days. Kōya wasn’t entirely sure that was a good thing.

"There’s a town ahead," Lyra announced, squinting at the horizon.

Kōya scanned the distant tree line. "How far?"

"Maybe a few hours of walking."

"What kind of town?"

"A major trade town. A crossroads."

"Large?"

"Large enough to get lost in."

"A Guild branch?"

"Probably."

"Probably?" Kōya repeated.

Lyra shrugged, a small smile playing on her lips. "You ask entirely too many questions."

"You provide entirely too few answers."

"Then I suppose we’re perfectly even."

Kōya sighed, keeping his eyes on the road.

After another hour of steady walking, Lyra suddenly stopped.

Kōya took several more heavy steps before his combat instincts registered her absence. He turned quickly, dropping his hand toward the hilt of his sword. "What?"

Lyra stared intensely toward the dense forest on their left. "Did you hear that?"

Kōya focused his heightened senses, filtering out the wind.

At first, there was nothing.

Then...

A desperate shout.

The ringing clash of heavy metal striking something dense.

Another panicked shout.

Kōya’s expression hardened. "Someone’s fighting."

Lyra took a step back toward the main road. The violent sounds were coming from deeper inside the trees, away from the established path.

Kōya drew his dagger and moved toward the tree line.

Lyra hurried after him, grabbing the back of his coat. "Wait!"

He stopped, glancing back over his shoulder.

She caught her breath. "You can’t just run toward every single fight we hear in the woods."

"Why not?"

"Because sometimes the people fighting are the problem."

Kōya considered her logic for a fraction of a second. "Then we will find out who the problem is."

He pushed into the brush.

Lyra sighed. "That isn’t a proper, logical answer, Kōya."

"It’s the only one I have."

They pushed through the thorny trees. The sounds of combat grew louder. The smell of fresh blood and ozone hit Kōya’s nose.

The forest opened into a trampled clearing.

A desperate group of armored adventurers stood in a failing defensive formation. Five people in total. Two armored fighters swinging broadswords. One massive man carrying a dented iron shield. A woman in robes frantically casting defensive light magic from the rear.

The fifth adventurer lay motionless in the mud, bleeding heavily from a chest wound.

Directly opposite the failing squad stood a massive creature.

It looked vaguely like a wolf, but it was far too large to be a natural beast. Its muscular body was covered in dark, interlocking stone-like armor plates. Two curved horns emerged from its skull. Its front claws had dug deep grooves into the soft earth.

Lyra stopped at the edge of the clearing, her eyes wide. "What the hell is that?"

Kōya assessed the creature. "A monster."

"I know it’s a monster!"

"Then why did you ask?"

"Because I don’t know what kind of monster it is!"

The armored creature roared, a deafening sound that shook the dead leaves from the surrounding trees.

It lunged forward. The heavy adventurer with the iron shield was thrown backward through the air, crashing into a tree trunk.

"Kai!" the mage screamed, dropping her spell to run toward him.

The creature immediately charged the vulnerable mage.

Kōya moved.

He crossed the clearing in a blur. His Hero Sword came free of its scabbard.

The monster’s armored claw struck downward toward the mage. Kōya blocked the strike with the flat of his blade.

The kinetic impact drove Kōya backward several meters. His heavy boots tore smoking trenches through the dirt. His arms shook slightly under the weight.

His dark eyes narrowed. "Strong."

The enraged creature attacked again, realizing the new threat. Kōya smoothly twisted his torso aside. The massive claw passed within centimeters of his shoulder.

He struck back with a horizontal slash aimed directly at the creature’s exposed foreleg. The glowing Hero Sword cleanly cut through the thick outer stone armor.

The monster screamed in agony, dark blood spraying the grass.

Kōya jumped backward, re-establishing tactical distance.

The exhausted adventurers stared at him in shock.

"Who the hell is that?"

"Is he a Guild adventurer?"

"No, look at his clothes!"

Kōya ignored their panicked chatter, his eyes locked on the beast.

The wounded monster turned its massive head toward him. Its yellow eyes glowed with predatory intent. Kōya lowered his center of gravity. "Come on."

The monster roared and charged with blinding speed.

This time, Kōya didn’t try to meet the massive kinetic force head-on. He stepped aside at the last possible instant. The creature’s momentum carried it blindly past him.

Kōya spun on his heel. His left hand glowed brilliantly. A controlled burst of pure Heroic Power struck the monster squarely in the center of its armored back.

The massive creature stumbled heavily, losing its footing in the mud. Kōya immediately followed the opening. He drove the glowing Hero Sword directly into a vulnerable gap between the heavy armored plates near the creature’s spine.

The holy blade pierced deep. The creature roared, thrashing wildly. Kōya yanked the heavy sword free and jumped backward to avoid the counterattack.

The monster violently turned on him. Its massive, armored tail whipped through the air.

Kōya ducked beneath the swing. The heavy tail smashed into a nearby silverwood tree. The massive trunk cracked violently, splintering into pieces.

Kōya looked at the shattered tree. "That is going to hurt if it hits."

The monster, enraged by its wounds, charged a third time.

Kōya raised his free right hand. Viscous, violet-black Demonic Mana gathered around his legs, heavily reinforcing his muscles.

He completely disappeared from sight.

The creature’s massive claws struck empty air. Kōya reappeared instantaneously behind its flank. He slashed hard. The monster’s rear leg completely buckled under the force. It collapsed heavily onto one side, thrashing in the dirt.

One of the veteran adventurers finally saw the opening. "Attack it now!"

The surviving group moved as one. The heavy shield bearer, having recovered from his fall, charged forward with a roar. The remaining swordsman followed closely on his flank. The desperate mage raised both hands, gathering a volatile fire spell.

Lyra still stood near the edge of the tree line. She hesitated for a fraction of a second, watching the chaotic melee. Then, she raised her trembling hand toward the beast.

A small, unstable sphere of pure, white light appeared above her open palm.

Kōya noticed the arcane buildup. "Lyra!"

She looked at him, startled. "What?"

"Wait for the opening."

"I am actively helping!"

The wounded monster suddenly recovered its footing with a surge of desperate adrenaline. It slammed its massive, armored body repeatedly against the ground.

A devastating kinetic shockwave spread outward through the clearing.

Kōya jumped high over the tremor. The exhausted adventurers were thrown backward into the mud.

Lyra lost her footing on the slick grass and began to fall. Kōya moved rapidly toward her, landing smoothly. He caught her securely by the arm just before she hit the ground.

"Are you okay?"

"I’m fine."

"Then stay behind me."

Lyra frowned, a stubborn light entering her eyes. "I can fight too."

"I know."

"Then let me."

Kōya looked closely at her. Her expression held no recklessness. Only determination.

He nodded once. "Fine. On my mark."

Lyra raised both hands again, focusing intensely. The small sphere of light above her palm split into several small, glowing, jagged fragments of concentrated mana.

They flew forward like arrows. The bright fragments struck the massive monster directly in its glowing yellow eyes.

The creature roared in agony, violently recoiling and shaking its heavy head, blinded.

"Now!" Kōya shouted.

The shield bearer charged blindly in. His heavy iron shield slammed into the creature’s exposed side, breaking its balance. The swordsman struck fiercely from the opposite flank, drawing blood.

Kōya moved in for the kill at the exact same moment.

Pure Heroic Power flowed smoothly through his left arm. Dense Demonic Mana aggressively reinforced his right. He did not merge the two powers. He used them perfectly separately, in terrifying harmony.

One dark power strengthened his physical movement and speed. The other holy power sharpened his lethal strike.

His glowing Hero Sword pierced cleanly through the vital opening Lyra’s distraction had created, driving straight through the monster’s heart.

The massive creature collapsed heavily into the mud.

Absolute silence returned to the clearing.

Kōya stood over the massive corpse, his sword still embedded. He waited. The creature twitched exactly once. Then completely stopped moving.

Kōya slowly withdrew the glowing sword from the beast. He breathed heavily, wiping sweat from his brow. Not because the monster itself had been particularly difficult to kill. He had slaughtered far worse. Because his physical body still wasn’t fully recovered from the duel with Zeref. The sudden burst of combat adrenaline had sharply reminded him of that fact.

He looked down at his sword arm. The muscles were already beginning to ache with a dull, familiar fire.

Lyra noticed his heavy breathing. "You’re actively pushing yourself again."

"I am fine."

She stared at him, unimpressed.